Door hanger



L. R. MARTIN ET AL DOOR HANGER Filed Feb. 18, 1947 i y May 23, 195o 24E0/vom: 00u

IN VEN TORS R. MART/N GLAS KL//VE Patented May 23, 195.0

DOOR HANGER Leonora R. Martin and Douglas Kline, San Francisco, Calif.

Application February 18, 1947, Serial No. 729,242

8 Claims. (Cl. 211-114) The invention, in general, relates to supportingdevices and more particularly relates to an improved hanger especiallyadapted for removable attachment to doors for increasing closet space.

Some attention has been devoted heretofore` to the development ofhangers and appliances for attachment to doors for enabling the storingor hanging of an increased number of garments, in-

'cluding hats, shoes and other apparel, as Well as for storing a varietyof different articles. Many 4of the devices so developed are somewhatcumbersome not only with respect to construction but also are somewhatdifficult to handle and to install. A serious disadvantage of thesevprior vdevices resides in the fact that installation thereof causesdefacement of doors by screw or nail holes. The present invention isdirected to the provision of a relatively simple hanger of inexpensiveproduction which can readily be' attached and as readily removed from adoor,

' and which does not in any manner mar the door.

' A' primary object of the invention is to provide an improved doorhanger which affords increased easy shipping and handling. v

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved door hanger ofthe aforementioned character which is readily and easily installed upona door as Well as easily and readily removed therefrom by the unskilledas well as the skilled.

is to provide an improved door hanger of the indicated nature which isespecially character- "ized by its adaptability to be secured ineffective operative position without marring or in any way-defacing thedoor upon which it is mounted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved door hanger ofthe aforementioned character which is so constructed as to permitplacing an appreciable tension on desirable portions thereof forenabling the hanger to 'support appreciably heavy loads withoutlikelihood of damaging the same.

^ to be understood that we are not to be limited to the preciseembodiment shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the various partsthereof, as our invention, as defined in the appended claims, can beembodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

' Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention installed in operative position on a door.

Figure 2 is an elevational sectional view, taken on the line 2 2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of one of the main elements of thepreferred embodiment 'of the invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another ofthe main elements of thepreferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cross-bar forming one of the meansfor attaching cases, cabinets or the like to a preferred embodiment ofythe invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevational view, in'reduced form, illustratingthe support of a full length cabinet on our improved hanger in operativeposition attached to a door.

In its preferred form, the improved door hanger of our inventionpreferably comprises a cross-bar including clamps for removably fittingthe cross-bar to the top edge of a door, a pair of arms secured togetherat one end and movably mounted on said cross-bar, together with a vertivcally adjustable rod detachably secured to the connected ends of saidarms, ka clamp on said rod removably tting over the lower edge of thedoor, and a cabinet supporting bar removably mounted on said arms tospread the same and Vto place the hanger under tension and rigidly Astill further object of our present invention-l fastened to the door.

As particularly illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4 of the annexeddrawings, our improved door f hanger is constructed from three principalelem'ents including a cross-bar II which preferably is fabricated frommetal but which can be formed of a plastic material or from wood orother suitf able strong material.

The cross-bar II is provided with a pair of clamps I2 and I3 which maybe formed integral with the bar or which can be detachably securedthereto, such clamps being located adjacent to opposite lateralextremities of the cross-bar, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4.Clamps I2 and I3 conveniently are formed with a depending lip I4 thereonand to a width approximately equal to the Width of the top edge of thedoor upon which the hanger is to beinfastening means. The cross-bar IIis formed .hangenor Vatsmaller. cabinet or:evenashelfi-may with a. pairof spaced, elongated slots I6 therein for receiving the upper ends of apair of arms I1 and I8 which are provided with bolts I9 for f passingthrough the slots I6. The lower ends of the arms I1 and I8 arepermanently connected together by means of a bolt 2|, and the twomounted arms thus aiord a Y-connection with the cross-bar I I with thearms movable laterally in the slots I6. Preferably, the arms' I1 and'lare fabricated from relatively thin section flat metal, but these armslikewise can be made from wood or from suitable plastic material.

In accordance with our invention, in third principal element of thehanger comprises a iiat rod 2'2 formed with a series of openings' 23-thereinadjacent to its upper end and carrying a hoolir clamp 24 on itslower end which isin all respects'j similar to the clamps I2 and I3 ofthe cross-bar II except that the lip 2S of the clamp 2-4 isr upturnedrather than downturned, so as to enable "the, clamp 2? to grip theylower edge of the 'door supon which the hanger ismountedV :Thens'eriesofopenings 23 in .the upper endof the'rod' 22 affords vertical adjustmentof the rod with re- ,sp'ectl tothe armsY I1 and I8 to which the'rod isremovably secured by passing the bolt 2-`I through .ariyfselected'oneVof. the slotsor openings :23. In

order to avoid chancemarrng ofthe door'irom 'fthe metal, Woodlorplasticparts just described, Vwe' 'preferably line inner surfaces ofthecross-'bar I I, the arms I1 and I3, and the rod'22'withfabric'.strps`-21'or other cushioningimaterial.

' cludes Ya. retainer bar 28` which likewise can be fabricated from'Ymetal, .plasticV material or of hard WoocLand which preferably is arelatively flat bar, as depicted in Figure of: the. drawings.

Y Thebar28 islprovided with apairv ofV lugs 2Q on 1 its inner surfacefor enabiingr the hanging. of ther bar'upon. the arms I1 and Ia'andthereby spreading such arms apart.- The fbar 28'is'iixedly secured' toythe back of. a shelfY 3 I orsa. cabinet 32, ,-aeillustratedjin Figures 2and y6, respectively,` and the entireunit of bar andshelhor bar andcabinetzasfthe case may be,isfh'ung` upon the: arms 'Il and I'ezzbymeansof the lugs 29 carriedA on the \backof..thefbar'28`. A full lengthcabinet', :as v

shown iniFigure 6,\.can. thus be supported on the similarly be mountedthereon;

Y las illustrated inlFiguresY 3Y toV 5 inclusive'r the eements of iour?` improved doorV hanger a'rel sepashipping. The hanger isasfreadilytakenclownVV as it is installed/.upon a' door. In orderto'mount the hanger in operativeposition on the inside of azdoor, suchas a closet door, it isionly necessary to"lift.the cross-bar II, withits'connected and .supported arms Hand I8 thereon,to the top of Y thedoor and slipV the clamps I2 and I3 over the tcp edge ofthe door Vandrelease, thusfsupporting or suspending thecross-bar II in positlon. The

Vscrew-'bolt'. 2 i connecting 'ther lower; ends. of .the

f 23' at the top of Vthe rod 22, dependinggupon fthe heighty of thedoor, and slip the lower'hoolrv:

clamp'l 24 under thel lower edge of the door. Thereafter, mount the.shelf 3l, or the cabinet 3.2 .as-thecase maybe; upon the arms I1 and I8fanclfto'V effect-'thisoperation, fit' the lugsjfZ ilA of the bari whichis; attahedto thebackof: thefshelfi:`

or cabinet, onto the arms I1 and I8, as clearly' depicted in the dottedline showings of Figure 1 of the annexed drawings. The weight of theshelf or cabinet on the arms I1 and I8 will cause the 5 `arms to moveapart or spread thus placing a ten- Asion on the arms and on the lowerrod 22, and rigidly afxing the hanger in operative position. Todismantle the hanger, it is only necessary to lift the shelf:Y orcabinet from thearms I1 and lo f8 and collapse the arms to relieve thetension fon the rod 22 suiiiciently to enable the removal ofi the rodfrom the bolt 2I, as Well as the removal of the clamp '24 at the bottomof the door. V'lhereafrter. it is only necessary to lift the ten- ;*5sionrelieve'd cros'sebar I I from the top of the door. Y

4Itis clearrirom the foregoing that there is no need of screwing ornailing any of the elements o'f `our improved hanger to the closet orother door upon which it may be mounted, in order rigidly to mcuntgthesame thereon. `VAlici Vvthe eiem'entszci the hanger `,are light l.inweight and -can be liftedreadily Aby' a .house-wife andVv set inposition. We have'V thus provided a convenient,

5 easily mountable hanger unit for removabiezattachnient to a closet orother door, makingzavailable ad.clitiorial facilities for storing' orhanging wearing-.apparel of all types, or for' they vstoring ofaya-riety of difieren-t articles. Moreover, the improved V`door hangeris adaptable for use. 2in f suspending a .short or a full length .mirror.on fthe n inside :ci ardeur.; Asa-indicated .in .the .dra-wines andassetl :out above-.either ashel-f,` a smal-l`r or a iullxlength v,cabinetvc.oni/.einently can be .sup- -p1orted on" the hanger'and :the hanger isreadily "taken down for use in other homes .or apartments :andneed,never*bcrnade `a permanent fixture Y any -onezplace vThe hanger, inaddition; canpbe .employed for suspending a' locker, mutiple 40.Vshelving; containersor other Aarticles and objects and is not'necessarily .to be limited merelyato :.snftportingfa `shelf or acabinet. The :improyed hanger' cam readily "beemanufactured from;inexpensi-ve mate'ialyand can be .shipped from place .toplace'nexpensively ina .compact shippingimt. It Visv =t0=,bennderstoodmthat the appended '.clamsare'to lieaccorded Aara/nge of.equivalents ccmmensurfate inyscope .with` the 'advance' made over theprior art.

l. A door hangerfcomprising yav crossfbarI hay- 'ing elongated slutstherein, hook clamps :on -said cross-bar :for suspending :the same fromthe :top .edgezoff afdoen a pari-rief'.armsrpivotally k,.f:.l'i1ie.ci1ed otogether at their Lone endsrand .slidablyn'iountedtheirother endsonfsaidcross-bar through the of said 'slotsg' ai.removably Vfastened to the; connectednends oft salici-V arms, and :ahook @lamp on theonnositeiend of said rod for removblyxattaching. lthe:rodto-the lower edge of a 2; A- .door hanger" comprising a'cross-harinas'- fmgfelorieated slots therein. hookfclamps onsaidcrossebar-for vsuspending the as ame fromV the top c5 ierlgeof azdoor.ailiair ofarms piyotallyzcbnneeted together at. their onev endsfan'dslidiably mounted at their other ends on saidcross-bar vthrough Athemediuinef Vsaisi-slfzts. arod":remoxfa-blyY :fastened vLitotbeeonnected'ends :of saidwarms; .saidlnodghail- V20 ing aseries'iofuopenings' therein nea-r one endffort 'charming vertical-'.adustrrrentof:the with respecurtopsaid-aims, and-a hook ,cilaxiipontheiii: positieendof-isaidirodzferremoyably attaching the .Y rodxtothevlower edgeofafdoor. y 15 3,: Aaemflianger comprising al crossebarlhsy ing elongatedslots therein, hook clamps for suspending said cross-bar from the toped@ 0f a door, a pair of arms pivotally connected together illi otherends on said cross-bar through the medium of said slots; said arms beingadapted toassume an inverted triangle with respect to said crossbar, arod adjustably connected by means at one end to the connected ends ofsaid arms. a hook clamp on the opposite end of said rod for removu ablyattaching the same to the lower edge of a door, and means for placing atension on said arms and said rod to install the hanger rigidly on adoor.

4. A door hanger and article support comprising a cross-bar havingelongated slots therein, hook clamps on said cross-bar for suspendingthe same from the top edge of a door, a, pair o1' arms pivotallyconnected at their one ends and slidably mounted at their other ends onsaid cross-bar I through the medium of said slots, and a bar removablyconnected to said arms; said bar being adapted removably to mount acabinet on the hanger.

5. A door hanger and article support comprising a cross-bar havingelongated slots therein, hook clamps on said cross-bar for suspendingthe same to the top edge of a. door, a pair of arms pivotally connectedat their one ends and slidablyI mounted at their other ends on saidcross-bar through the medium of said slots, a shelf, a bar fastened tosaid shelf; said bar having means for removably mounting said shelf onsaid arms causing a spreading of the arms and the placing of 'a tensionthereon, a rod removably fastened to the connected ends of said arms,and a hook clamp on the opposite end of said rod for remov- REFERENCESCITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 928,132 Kaufman July 13, 19091,189,677 Farlese July 4, 1916 1,301,607 Rothery Apr. 22, 1919 1,701,419Peden Feb. 5, 1929 2,243,947 Epstein June 3, 1941 2,270,796 Hauser Jan.20, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 88,780 Germany Sept. 28, 1896

